[11/7/17] PUD Commissioners Approve Purchase Of Site For Chelan’s North Shore Substation

More than two years of study, public comment, debate, more study, more comment and more debate came down to fourteen seconds at a special meeting at the Confluence Technology Center in Wenatchee last (Mon) night:

pud-vote :14 Q:”motion is carried”

It was a grim-faced Chelan County PUD Commission that approved going forward with acquiring the Henderson property as the site for a new North Shore substation. The vote came after hearing from half a dozen property owners, perhaps best summed up in the comments of Corky Thorson:

pud-corky :21 Q:”view mitigations are”

Then it was to the commissioners to explain their thinking for a decision no one seemed happy with. Commissioner Ann Congdon, who represents the area, felt it was her duty to make the motion to approve going forward:

pud-ann :42 Q:”it could be different”

Commissioner Steve McKenna:

pud-steve :43 Q:”we possibly can”

There was an optimistic note in some of the comments, from Commissioner Gary Arsenault, who noted the ultimately futile search for a perfect location:

pud-gary :54 Q:”benefits everyone”

And finally, Commissioner Randy Smith, who in many ways threw down the gauntlet for PUD staff to create what he had discussed with PUD General Manager Steve Wright:

pud-randy :54 Q:”let’s give it a try”

It should be noted that the Commission’s vote only authorizes Wright to go ahead to acquire the Henderson property – not necessarily to design or build a substation there.